The present invention relates to spindles used for rotating a part. More particularly, the present invention provides a compact adjustable spindle allowing accurate positioning of the rotating part at selected positions on the axis of rotation.
Spindles are used commonly in electric machines to provide support for a rotating part. For example, in gear testing systems, a separate spindle is positioned on a stable support frame for rotating two gears that mesh together. In these gear testing systems, there is a desire to adjust the position of the gears relative to each other in order to ascertain the best position for running the gears. A common approach to changing the gear position is to relocate the spindle housing relative to the support base. However, the disadvantages of this method include the need for additional hardware located between the support housing and the base. In addition, it is also desired to move the gear in two distinct operations. For example, when the gear is to be replaced, a large movement is desired in order to allow easy access to the gear. However, when the relative position of the gears being changed in order to ascertain the best operating position, the movement of the gear is slight but high accuracy is required.